The Basic Sin!

       Bernard Bailey said something worth thinking about when he declared, "When science discovers the center of the universe a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it." That would be shocking news to a world suffering with a widespread disease best described as "meism" – defined as "a focus on and obsession with oneself." In great contrast to that, Jesus Christ declared that "whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Luke 9:24). Those words follow immediately after the more familiar if still highly unpopular words of Luke 9:23 - "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." In 2002 Rick Warren published what turned out to be a very popular book entitled, "The Purpose-Driven Life." Warren hit the nail squarely on the head with the opening sentences of the book. They read as follows: "It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose." John Ruskin warns us about the diminishing impact of a self-centered life instead of a God-centered one with these words – "When a man is wrapped up in himself he makes a pretty small package."

The self-centered life is an old and on-going problem in human society. Two thousand years ago in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 the apostle Paul depicted what Bible commentator William Barclay refers to as "one of the most terrible pictures in the New Testament of what a godless world would look like." The very first thing Paul lists as characteristic of "perilous" is, truth be told, the most popular and widespread sin in our land today. Paul writes, "For men will be lovers of themselves" (vs 2a). Barclay writes about this phrase: "It is no accident that the first of these qualities will be ‘a life that is centered in self.’ The adjective that is used is philautos, which means self-loving. Love of self is the basic sin (emphasis mine, DG), from which all others flow. The moment a man makes his own will the center of life, divine and human relationships are destroyed, obedience to God and charity to men both become impossible. The essence of Christianity is not the enthronement but the obliteration of self" (William Barclay, The Daily Bible Study Series, The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon; p 184). Like a dandelion, selfishness is hard to get rid of. As Jane Austin observed, "Selfishness must always be forgiven, you know, because there is no cure." Actually, there is a cure, or at least a helpful corrective. The apostle Paul spells it out in Romans 15:1-3 as he calls on Christians to learn to live together in peace and harmony – "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.’ " Scripture and history agree – the shortest route to an empty life is to be full of yourself. Avoiding this most basic sin will help you avoid many others. Will you think about it?

Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN